The present invention is related to air discharge pipes through which high-pressure air is discharged from locomotive engine air dryers, and more specifically, to an improved air discharge pipe configured to diffuse discharge air.
Conventional railway locomotive engines include one or more air dryers for reducing moisture content in the pressurized air lines of the locomotive engine. Moisture collected in the air dryers is discharged as wet air from the air dryer at high pressure on regular intervals, typically on the order of once per minute. Discharged air is routed through an open end of a discharge pipe located on the side of the locomotive and directed both downward towards the railway track and inward to maximize personnel safety.
When a railway locomotive is stationary or idle, as is frequently the case during railcar loading and unloading or coupling and uncoupling, the discharge of high-pressure wet-air from the prior art air dryer discharge pipe can result in the displacement of adjacent ballast on the sides of the railway lines. Conventionally, the discharged air is initially pressurized to around 140 pounds per square inch (PSI). Repeated discharges at the same location can result in the formation of holes in the railway line ballast, leading to rail line deterioration and requiring repair.
Alternative air dryer discharge pipe designs incorporate a air-diffusing end cap fitted over the air discharge outlet end of the pipe. While this design has been found to be an improvement over conventional open-ended air discharge pipes, it does not significantly reduce the problem of rail line ballast displacement during high-pressure wet-air discharges from the locomotive engine air dryer.
Briefly stated, the apparatus of the present invention provides a locomotive air dyer air discharge pipe configured to disperse a portion of the discharge air radially through an air dispersion opening in the side of the discharge pipe, thereby reducing the output velocity of the discharge air and redirecting the air away from the ballast.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention as well as presently preferred embodiments thereof will become more apparent from the reading of the following description in connection with the accompanying drawings.